AP US History AMSCO Guided Notes
2.6: Slavery in the British Colonies
AMSCO Guided Notes
AP US History Guided Notes
AMSCO 2.6 - Slavery in the British Colonies
Learning Objectives
- Explain the causes and effects of slavery in the various British colonial regions.
- Explain how enslaved people responded to slavery.
I. Demand for Labor
1. Why did colonial landowners turn to enslaved African labor instead of relying on Native Americans or indentured servants?
A. Indentured Servants
1. What was an indentured servant and what terms did they agree to when signing a contract?
2. Why did the indentured servant system ultimately fail to meet the labor demands of colonial landowners?
B. Headright System
1. How did Virginia's headright system attempt to attract immigrants and increase the labor supply?
II. The Institution of Slavery
1. How did the status of the first Africans who arrived in Virginia in 1619 differ from enslaved Africans by the end of the 1660s?
A. Increased Demand for Enslaved Africans
1. What three factors explain why slavery became increasingly important in the southern colonies during the 17th and 18th centuries?
2. How did the distribution of enslaved people differ across the British colonies and what does this reveal about regional economic differences?
B. Slave Laws
1. What laws did colonial legislatures enact to ensure that slavery would be permanent and hereditary?
2. How did colonists use laws to prevent enslaved people from gaining freedom through Christian baptism?
3. How did the development of slavery laws contribute to the emergence of racism in colonial society?
C. Resistance to Slavery
1. What methods did enslaved Africans use to resist slavery and maintain their cultural identity?
2. How did enslaved people preserve African traditions and family connections despite the threat of being separated by sale?
Key Terms
indentured servants
headright system
slavery
Middle Passage